Almost immediately nurses surrounded Draco and Hermione, who was currently comatose. He began to feel overwhelmed and got worked up as Hermione was being lifted from his arms and put onto a gurney. The team of nurses started to wheel the insensate Hermione towards a set of beige double doors, but were stopped by a strong pale hand on the gurney.

"I. Stay. With. Her," The veela said, fuming. As if they were used to this kind of thing, the nurses serious but understandingly nodded.

The walk down the corridor was tense for Draco. If this had been a cartoon, he would've had smoke billowing from his ears. The smell of cleaning products and the bright white walls, weren't doing much for him either. All these new feelings were just too much for him. All his life he's been used to controlling himself, be it holding his tongue instead of speaking back to his father or even back to his younger years by resisting the urge to run off from his mother in Diagon Alley to play with the other children when he was just a small tot. But now, because of Hermione, he didn't want to control himself and knew it was only as matter of time until he couldn't restrain himself any longer. But he had to keep it together right now, if only for Hermione.

The nurses ushered him into a moderately sized room, but he wasn't thinking about them. He rushed to put the inept girl on top of the bed's clean and crisp white sheets, the nurses and healers immediately crowding around her,nearly shielding her from him completely. By now he was calmed down a little. But something still wasn't right. Where the hell is Mcgonagall, he thought to himself.

As quickly as he thought it, someone from behind him spoke.

"Mr. Malfoy, I can assure of this hospital's personnel's competence. Hermione and Madame Pomfrey will be taken care of. The latter has just been retrieved from the school." At this, the veela Head Boy noticed his pristine, white wings slowly but surely recede back into his shoulder blades.

"That's good," he said as he started pacing nest to the bed, "but I need to stay here, I can't just leave and pretend everything is alright."

"I would suggest as much, Mr. Malfoy. There's no use in sending you back to school just to worry everyone. You will stay here with Miss Granger and you both shall be excused from your classes until she has fully recuperated. Is there anyone you want me to tell about this...situation? I already know that Ms. Weasley should be notified of Ms. Granger's state as soon as possible."

"Yes, Please. Tell Blaise Zabini everything. Can he maybe come visit if he finds time, please? Even Weasel—Weasley, I mean, can come."

"That can be arranged. I regret to inform you that I must be getting back to my duties at the school. I shall come and inform you of anything later this evening."

Back at Hogwarts, there was a returning student. Pansy Parkinson was known to be in Draco's circle until around 6th year. Like most of Draco's gang, they'd drifted apart. Until today, no one but the Headmistress knew that she'd be returning.

She waltzed into Professor McGonagall's office like she owned the place despite not actually owning as much as she used to, for part of her parents's deal was that they had to pay some heavy fines in turn for a lower jail sentence for being death eaters. But somehow she still had her usual snarky attitude about her that just screamed that she thought she was better than everyone else. She'd narrowly escaped prison time, the one reason being that no one could absolutely prove that she was helping Voldemort, even through the public knew she was.

McGonagall coldly ushered Pansy into her office, showing her displeasure with the course of the day even though it was before 10:00 am. She heavily sat down behind her desk while keeping her face an unsatisfied mug.

"While you are being graciously accepted back to this school, I must note that you must not expect the special treatment you are accustomed to," the Headmistress said.

"Oh no, I'm a changed person now. I've finally come to my senses about my parents' wrongdoings. They too are well on their way to recovering from the manipulation of Him," the younger girl said sarcastically.

At this the Headmistress shifted and straightened her back. McGonagall stood up before extending her thin hand to begrudgingly give multiple papers to Pansy. "You are already off to bad start. This attitude is to change or you will find little success here.I expect that you should have minimal problems while here. Remember, so much as one incident and you'll be well on your way to house arrest," McGonagall pointed out.

"I'm sure there won't be any problems. If that's all, I'll be on my way then," she said as she stood up and gave a half hearted tug at her indecently short skirt before turning and starting for the door.

"Excuse me, young lady," McGonagall stopped and waited for Pansy to turn around. "You have yet to be dismissed. I will tell you this, you have a chance to restart and make something of yourself, it's a waste of many people's time and energy to not use it"

Pansy overdramatically rolled her her eyes at the older witch. "Don't worry, I'm using my time and energy on a very good cause." and at that she turned and left the room leaving the Headmistress weary of her vague statement.

He'd been standing around and pacing for hours. Harry had come and gone after seeing that Hermione was doing well at St. Mungo's. That left Draco to pace back and forth, looking through the large large window across the room from Hermione's bed. He might have pulled a few strings to have her moved into a larger, nicer room.

"what ?" Hermione mumbled as she peeked her eyes open to be met with blindingly bright light.

"Hermione?" Draco questioned as he flicked his head over his shoulder at her. He rushed over to her bedside before impulsively hugging her gently but still tight. She was startled but instinctively reciprocated. He pulled away to look her over and check that she was once again healthy and fine.

Hermione knuckled her eyes and stretched as she asked, "what happened?" She sat up fully and looked around. "Where the hell am I?" she asked as she started to get out of bed to leave.

"No, no, no, no, no, you need to stay there. I'll call a nurse for you. Stay there, ill be right back," he said cautiously, trying to convince her to stay in bed and not wander off.

"ok , but I have a question," she said.

"If you'll stay here while I'm gone, anything." he responded.

"Who are you?"

A/n: I am so so so so sorry that I haven't update in months! But hopefully I'll be able to now that I'm on summer break. I'll try to have the nest chapter up within the next two weeks.

-Ek Jane